Combination cigarette container, lighter, and dispenser



R.MAYER Feb. 29, V 1944.

Filed May 5, 1941 INVENTOR W E Y Y E A N M R 0 D w m A H m nn Y B I 3 Patented Feb. 29, 1944 COMBINATION CIGARETTE CONTAINER, LIGHTER, AND DISPENSER Richard Mayer, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assigments, to Adolph H. Rosenberg and Leah S. Rosenberg, both of Clayton, Mo., and Samuel M. Rosenberg, University City, Mo.

Application May 5, 1941, Serial N0. 391,942

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cigarette containers. More particularly, my invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in combination cigarette containers, lighters, andv dispensers especially, though not exclusively, adapted for automobile use, and has for its chief object the provision of a structure of the type and for the purpose stated which may be readily and cheaply constructed, which is compact and artistic in form and appearance, which may be easily installed upon the automobile, which may be readily filled, which is conveniently operable for lighting and dispensing the cigarettes successively one by one, which is economical and entirely safe in electrical consumption, and which is efiicient and satisfactory in the performance of its intended functions.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a reduced perspective view of a combination cigarette container, lighter, and dispenser constructed in accordance with and embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure with the cover removed and the dispensing-member and associated parts in retracted, housed, or normal position;

Figure 3 is also a plan view with the cover removed, but with the dispensing-member in projected, cigarette lighting and dispensing, or socalled abnormal position;

Figures 4 and 5 are transverse or vertical sectional views on the lines 4-4 and 5-5, Figures 2 and 3, respectively; and

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 6-45, Figure 2.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the structure includes a preferably metallic box-shaped shell or housing A of suitable dimensions and preferably of oblong-rectangular contour in plan view, shell A comprising a rear Wall I, opposite side walls 2, 2', obliquely contoured along their lower margin, as best seen in Figure 1, a front wall 3, and a bottom wall 4 obliquely sloping for wardly and downwardly from rear wall I and under side walls 2, 2, said walls being suitably permanently secured together and the bottom wall 4 being extended forwardly, as at 5, to provide a tray, as it may be called, .for dispensing the contained cigarettes C, as will presently fully appear. At its forward margin, the tray-forming extension 5 of wall 4 is centrally cut away or recessed, as at 6, and upon opposite sides of recess 6 flanged upwardly in the provision of lips or wall-portions 1, I, all for purposes presently appearing. At their opposite side margins, the wall 4 and its tray-forming extension 5 are also flanged upwardly in the formation of end walls, as at 8, 8', for the tray 5.

It may be here stated that the degree of inclination of bottom wall 4 and its tray-extension 5 is such as to freely efiect forward and downward rolling gravity movement of the housed cigarettes C, and the front wall 3 is of such relative dimensions as to provide a space, as at b, therebetween and the sloping bottom wall 4 of sufficient width to permit the housed cigarettes C to singly pass or roll outwardly therethrough and upon the tray 5, the space or mouth b being normally closed by a yieldingly swingable flap or so-called door 9.

A suitable top wall or lid I0 is hinged, as at H, to and at the upper margin of rear wall I for swingable closure of shell A, and the bottom Wall 4 is formed centrally, for purposes presently appearing, with a closed end slot, as at l2, of such length as to extend longitudinally of shell A from adjacent rear Wall I forwardly into the tray-extension 5, as shown.

Disposed for shiftable reciprocation within and relatively to the shell A, is a pusher or ejector P, which includes a top plate or wall l3 provided or formed with depending side-flanges or walls l4, l4, and on its under face with spaced blocks [5, l5, the latter being grooved, as shown, and equipped respectively with a downwardly presented finger grip is and a washer I! for engaging the bottom wall 4 at the slot l 2 for facilitating, and at the same time through engagement with the opposite end walls of slot l2 limiting, the reciprocations of pusher or ejector P.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the ejector P is reduced in length relatively to the length of shell A, so as to provide a space or chamber, as at d, between the shell side wall 2 and ejector side wall I 4, and depending from the pusherplate l3 at its forward margin, is a flange 18 forming the front wall of the ejector P.

It is to be noted that the plate l3 has such width that normally, that is to say, when in retracted position, while abutting at its rear margin against the shell rear wall I, the ejector front.

wall I8 will be disposed in such spaced relation from mcuth-closure 9 as to provide therebetweenand within the shell A a channel, as at 0, having such size as to snugly accommodate one cigarette C, as best seen in Figure 4.

It is also to be noted that the blocks I5, l, and walls l8 are of such height that the ejector P, when pushed or pulled forwardly, will freely, at its forward end-portion, pass outwardly through the mouth b and onto the tray 5, and attached at its ends, as at 25, to the shell bottom wall 4 and intermediately embracing the block l5, as best seen in Figures 2, 3, l, and 5, is a suitable coiled spring 2! for yieldingly retaining the ejector P in, and returning the same to, normal retracted position.

The ejector P thus, in effect, forms what might be described as a false yieldingly-shiftable bottom for the shell A, and suitably fixed within the shell A to extend obliquely downwardly and forwardly from at or adjacent the upper margin of rear wall I to adjacent the ejector-plate l3, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, is a supplemental shell rear wall 22, one side margin of which, ase. is approximately in vertical registration with the ejector side wall I l. Fixed to the side margin e of wall 22, is a supplemental shell side wall 23 cut away along its lower margin and for a portion of its length in registration approximately with the plane of the upper face of ejector wall l3. The connected walls 22, 23, hence smoothly finish the interior of shell A, cover and complete the chamber at, and also cover and conceal the spring 2|.

The chamber'or space it accommodates a leafspring- S, which is fixed at its one or rear end, as at 25, to the shell side wall 2 and is suitably elongated to extend forwardly into the tray 5 through an aperture or cut-out, as at 25, provided for the purpose in the closure 9, as best seen in Figure 3.

At its front or free end, the spring S is preferably doubled upon itself, as at 21, for efficiently engaging one end of a cigarette C deposited or ejected into the tray 5 and intermediate its ends has a bendor detent, asat28, for engagement by the ejector side wall I4 for yieldingly, when the ejector P is in normal retracted position, retaining the spring S in approximate fiatwise registration with the shell wall 2 and its aligning tray sidewall B, as best seen in Figure 2. It will be observed that the ejector wall l t-is at a suitable location intermediate its ends provided or formed with a recessor cut-out, as at 29, for accommodating detent 28 for permitting the spring S to yieldingly move into cigarette engagement when the ejector P is shifted forwardly for ejecting a cigarette C from the shell A, as-

will presently more fullyappear.

As seen in Figure 2, the side wall 8' is cut away, treat 35, to accommodate an inwardly presented electric igniting or lighting element E mounted on a suitable strip 3! fixed upon, but insulated from, the wall 3'. Electrically connecting one side of the lement E with a contact-member 32,

is a conductor 33, the other side of the'element' from, the side wall Id of ejector P and working in slot 39, is a contact-member 40 adapted, when the ejector P is in forwardly shifted position, for electrically connecting the contacts 32 and 35 for closing the circuit to the igniter E, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Figure 6, the block 34 and associated lighting posts being housed within a supplemental shell A suitably attached to shell A and apertured for accommodating the binding post 31, all as best seen in Figures 3 and 6.

Accordingly, in use and operation, the shell A may be very conveniently attached and mounted, as by means of a suitable bracket H, upon the steering post or column of the automobile, when the ignitingor lighting element E will be suitably grounded on the automobile, as will be well understood.

The cigarettes C to be dispensed are disposed in a suitable quantity upon the ejector P and. within the shell A, the ejector P being in normal or retracted position, as in Figures 2 and 4, and the shell mouth I) closed by the swingable flap 9, and when the ejector P is in such normal or retraoted position, the spring S is in normal approximately fiatwise engagement with the shell and tray walls 2 and 8, respectively, and with the circuit to ejector E broken, contact-member 40 being out of electrical engagement with the contacts 32 and 35 and with a particular cigarette c occupying the channel or recess 0, all as best seen in Figures 2 and 4.

New, to obtain a housed cigarette C, the ejector P is pulled or projected forwardly through finger engagement with the grip l6 and th ejector P thereby pulled forwardly into projected position or into the position thereof shown in Figures 3 and 5. In such movement, the one cigarette 0 functions first, under pressure of the ejector P, to swingably shift the flap 9 to open position and is then projected or propelled into accessible position in the tray 5, as best seen in Figure 5, for ready gripping at the space or recess 5, and when in such forwardly projected position, the ejector P completely closes the shell mouth 5-, as seen in Figure 5.

In such forward movement of the jector P, the contact-member it is also moved forwardly and engaged with the contact-members 32 and 35. Under such engagement, wire 38 having been suitably connected to a source of current, the circuit to the lighting element E is closed and element E energized and, at the same time, through registration of spring-bend 28 with the recess 29, the spring Sis permitted to yieldingly shift laterally for, in turn, endwise shifting the deposited cigarette c into lighting engagement at its opposite end with the energized element E ing movement of the ejector P, the detent 28 is engaged by the ejector-wall M and spring S thereby yieldingly shifted into normal position or, again into the position thereof shown in Figure 2, ready for repeated successive operations.

The structure fulfills in every respect the objects stated, and it is to be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the structure may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette container and dispenser comprising a shell having a front wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a cigarette-supporting bottom wall, a tray projecting from the shell, the shell front wall having a mouth-opening, an ejector shiftable over the bottom wall and partially through said opening for dispensing the contained cigarettes successively one by one along said bottom Wall through said opening into the tray, the ejector having a top wall, both when the tray is in normal retracted and abnormal projected positions, supportingly underlying the cigarettes housed within the shell, a block fixed to and underlying the ejector top wall, a spring having its ends engaging the shell and interrnediately engaging said block for yieldingly retaining the ejector in normally retracted position, and means including a finger-grip fixed to the ejector and working in the shell the bottom wall for shifting the ejector into projected position against the pull of the spring.

2. A combination cigarette container, lighter, and dispenser including a shell comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, and opposite side walls, a tray projecting from the shell, the shell front wall having an opening leading into the tray, a lighting member disposed at an end of the tray, means comprising an ejector adapted for reciprocation on said bottom wall and relatively to the shell for dispensing the contained cigarettes successively through said opening into the tray, and means for ieldingly successively shifting the dispensed cigarettes in the tray into end engagement with the lighting member, said last means comprising a yielding member fixed at an end to a shell side wall and having its free end disposed for movement adjacent the opposite end of the tray.

3. A combination cigarette container, lighter, and dispenser including a shell comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, and opposite side walls, a tray projecting from the shell, the shell front wall having an opening leading into the tray, a. lighting member disposed at an end of the tray, means comprising an ejector adapted for reciprocation on said bottom wall and rela tively to the shell for dispensing the contained cigarettes successively through said opening into the tray, and means for yieldingly successively shifting the cigarettes in the tray into end engagement with the lighting member, said last means including a spring fixed at an end to a shell wall and having its opposite end yieldingly shiftable in the opposite end of the tray, the spring having a detent intermediate its ends and the ejector being engageable with said detent for yieldingly maintaining the spring in normal position, the ejector having a recess for accommodating said detentfor permitting the spring to yieldingly shift into cigarette engagement for shifting the cigarette endwise into engagement with the lighting member.

4. A combination cigarette container, lighter, and dispenser including a shell comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, and opposite side walls, a tray projecting from the shell, the Shell front Wall having an opening leading into the tray, means including an ejector adapted for reciprocation on said bottom wall and relatively to the shell for dispensing the contained cigarettes successively through said opening into the tray, a normally open electric circuit, a lighting element comprised in the circuit and disposed for engagement successively with the cigarettes deposited in the tray, and means for closing the circuit for energizing said element when the ejector is in forwardly reciprocated position, said last means comprising spaced contacts in the circuit and a contact-member on the ejector for electrically connecting said contact-members when the ejector is in forwardly projected position.

RICHARD IVIAYER. 

